Chicanos Por La Causa gets $125K grant

By Bob McClay | August 29, 2014 at 7:00 amUPDATED: August 29, 2014 at 7:00 am

TEMPE, Ariz. — A local group is getting a partner and a big financial boost to help those in need.

Chicanos Por La Causa (CPLC) is getting a $125,000 grant from Neighborworks America, a nationwide group that teams with 250 organizations nationwide to provide affordable housing for low income families. CPLC helped more than 15,000 Arizonans with housing, counseling and other services last year.

Neighborworks America CEO Tom Chabolla is glad to have Chicanos Por La Causa as a partner to provide affordable housing in the Phoenix area.

“They have a proven track record of being able to deliver affordable housing to low-income families, to provide jobs and to create opportunities wherever they go,” Chabolla said.

CPLC CEO Edmundo Hidalgo said his group will use the money to help those in need to get housing.

“These are people who are living paycheck to paycheck, and people are still upside down on their mortgages,” Hidalgo said. “Others are trying to become homeowners, but they want to be able to prepare themselves to do that.”

Hidalgo said that Chicanos Por La Causa offers housing counseling to get people ready for home ownership.

One person who is excited about the grant is Arizona Congresswoman Kyrsten Sinema. She said Chicanos Por La Causa has been helping Arizonans for over 20 years.

“When I first started my career as a young social worker in Sunnyslope, that’s when I met CPLC,” Sinema said. “They’ve been working with families of all kinds throughout the state for many, many years. They’ve been helping people find long-term opportunities for housing and stay in Arizona.”

For more information about Chicanos Por La Causa and its housing assistance, click here.